Since the election of Donald Trump, there has been a lot of discussion within progressive circles about movement building. Like any relationship, movement building takes work and tons of communication. Reproaction is committed to this work and to the intersectional organizing necessary to dismantle reproductive oppression and build strong communities free of violence and oppression. With that goal in mind, Reproaction recently joined a diverse group of progressive organizations and activists in Missouri to organize United We Stand St. Louis.

Labor Day marked the official launch of United We Stand St. Louis, followed by a public conference on September 9 organized under the banner “From Resistance to Opposition to Political Power.” Reproaction proudly stands in solidarity with the Fight for $15 movement to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and our organization has committed to paying our interns and fellows $15 per hour.

The day-long interactive conference included various workshops covering a wide breadth of intersectional topics aimed at growing skills and expanding knowledge for those organizing against attacks from both the Trump and Greitens’ administrations. It was my honor to facilitate the opening plenary discussion with St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones, Representative Bruce Franks Jr, and St. Louis Alderwoman Megan-Ellyia Green. Following the plenary, panel discussions, lectures, and skills training were offered with a special focus on attendee participation. Click here to view a full listing of conference workshops.

A key goal of the conference was to provide a long-term vision for a sustained movement capable of holding lasting social and political power in St. Louis. With activists recruited, trained, and invested in the work ahead to take on the divisions created by nativism, racism, state violence, Islamophobia, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, and anti-Semitism, United We Stand St. Louis will seek to unite communities to achieve our shared goals to win living wages, healthcare, decent housing, quality education, voting rights, and a voice on the job for all workers.

Over 130 people attended the United We Stand St. Louis conference, and the coalition’s work has only just begun.

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